A New Name in Glory

I was once a sinner, but I came
Pardon to receive from my Lord:
This was freely given, and I found
That He always kept His word.

Refrain
There’s a new name written down in glory,
And it’s mine, O yes, it’s mine!
And the white robed angels sing the story,
“A sinner has come home.”
For there’s a new name written down in glory,
And it’s mine, O yes, it’s mine!
With my sins forgiven I am bound for Heaven,
Never more to roam.

I was humbly kneeling at the cross,
Fearing naught but God’s angry frown;
When the heavens opened and I saw
That my name was written down.

In the Book ’tis written, “Saved by Grace,”
O the joy that came to my soul!
Now I am forgiven, and I know
By the blood I am made whole.

This particular hymn was published in 1938 by C. Austin Miles.  C. Austin Miles is probably best known for the hymn “In the Garden” which I am sure most of you are familiar with.  That hymn paints a beautiful picture of being with the Lord in the garden.  It’s chorus reads “And He walks with me and He talks with me and He tells me I am His own…”   But you cannot enjoy time with the Lord in the garden if you are not His own.  You cannot converse with and listen to God speak unless your name is written in the Lamb’s book of life.  This hymn, #154 in the red back hymnal, is a testimony hymn by Mr. Miles and a reminder of that truth.  It is a song about what he once was, and now what he is in Christ.  A beautiful testimony of God’s grace. 

A little background about the author.  Mr. Miles attended the Philadelphia college of pharmacy and the University of Pennsylvania, but abandoned his career as a pharmacist and begin to write gospel songs, and spent the larger part of his adult life working at a publishing company.  I am sure glad he listened to God’s call on his life, and am thankful for songs like this that he has given to the world.

If you aren’t familiar with the song, here’s a youtube link:

Couple of comments on the lyrics:

• “I was…I am” – Mr. Miles really had two distinct parts of his working career – the “I was” and the “I am” parts of his working life.  “I was” a pharmacist.  “I am” a hymn writer.  But this song also reminds us of the two parts of his spiritual life.  “I was once a sinner” is a description of the first part of his life.  A testimony that we all share.  The Bible tells us that “All have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.”  Not some are sinners. Not most are sinners.  But all have sinned.  But thanks be to God that is the not the end of his story, or our story.  We can testify with Mr. Miles that we have been changed.  He testified that he had been forgiven in verse three.  He said “I am made whole.”  He had been redeemed, and there was, Hallelujah!, a new name written down in glory.

• “The white robed angels sing the story – A sinner has come home” – Now this particular lyric is not a direct quote from Scripture, but I do believe this thought is accurate.  In Luke 15 in the parable of the lost coin, Jesus tells about the rejoicing that comes when the women who lost a coin, finds it.  She tells her friends and neighbors to rejoice with her because she has found what was lost.  Jesus said “Likewise, I say to you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”  When one sinner repents, there is rejoicing in heaven.  The white robed angels are celebrating that a sinner has come home – has come to repentance.  That is something worth celebrating and rejoicing over.  Amen?

• “That my name was written down” – In Revelation 20, the Bible tells us about two distinct groups of people.  The saints of the Lord who were martyred for standing for Christ and the word of God.  Those “who had not worshiped the beast or his image, and had not received his mark on their foreheads or on their hands” who will reign with Christ.  But the latter part of Revelation 20 contains a reminder about another group.  Here’s what the Bible says about that group “And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God, and books were opened. And another book was opened, which is the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to their works, by the things which were written in the books…..And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire.”  You see your name has to be written down.  It is not a trivial matter.  It is the difference between eternal life and eternal death. 

Based upon his educational background and his secular career as a pharmacist, I am sure Mr. Miles wrote a few prescriptions in his day.  Certain medicines for certain ailments.  But medicine is a funny thing.  Not every type of medicine cures every type of ailment.  You see, one can take a whole bottle of aspirin and never see an impact on a poison ivy rash.  One can pour calamine lotion all over your head, but it won’t take away “pink eye” – it will just give you a kind of “pink eye.” One can take antacid all day long, but it won’t cure the flu.  You have to the right medicine to be cured of the disease.

Sin is a deadly illness.  It’s an epidemic.  Every person born of women gets it.  The world tell us that there are tons of cures for this illness.  Drown your sins in the bottle.  Or do enough good deeds to outweigh the bad that you have done to deal with this disease.  Ignore your sin and it will go away.  Some even say sin is a “made up” concoction of man.  But what does the Bible say?  The Bible says that the wages of sin is death.  Unless you receive the only cure for sin, you will die in your sins.  Unless your name is in the book, Revelation 20 tells us about the awful consequence of sin.

But praise the Lord, we know the cure for sin.  Jesus’ blood has paid the price for our sin.  Jesus’ sacrifice has paid the debt He did not owe for you and for me.  You can receive this gift of salvation, and you can have your name written in the book.  And we can celebrate with the angels in heaven over that sinner who has come home!